(4 Oct 1996) Spanish/Nat
A Nicaraguan man accused of heading a drug dealing operation for the U-S Central Intelligence Agency claims he's innocent and that the accusation is a political move by the U-S.
Norwin Meneses was accused of selling drugs with C-I-A agents in the U-S to support the Nicaraguan Contra rebels during their war against the leftist Sandinista government.
Meneses says he's innocent and that the issue has been brought up by the U-S Democrats to discredit the Republican Party prior to next month's elections.
Norwin Meneses was sent to Tipilata jail in the Nicaraguan capital, Managua.
He was convicted of drug trafficking in 1991 and sentenced to 20 years in prison.
His sentence was cut down to 12 years.
Meneses has been involved in a political scandal that has shaken the core of the United States Central Intelligence Agency or C-I-A.
The allegations first surfaced in US newspapers last month.
The U-S government supported a group of rebels known as the Contras during their civil war against the leftist Sandinista government.
When the C-I-A found itself without funds to aid the Contras, a group of agents allegedly engaged in drug trafficking activities to raise funds.
Norwin Meneses- who was living in California at the time- was the alleged head of the drug dealing operations, according to the newspaper reports.
Now in jail Meneses claims he's innocent.
SOUNDBITE: (Spanish)
With respect to the political drug scandal that leftist members of the US Democratic Party say I'm involved in I will not give any comments because I'm innocent of what they claim. And the government of the United States itself has said that there have been no formal charges against me in this case. Therefore it is evident that it is an electoral move to damage the Republican Party as the end of the US elections approach.
SUPER CAPTION: Norwin Meneses
The U-S government has launched an investigation into the allegations of C-I-A involvement in drug trafficking.
U-S authorities have never formally linked Meneses to the intelligence agency but the U-S Drug Enforcement Administration claims he has been involved in drug trafficking since 1974.
Meneses does not deny supporting the Contras during the civil war.
Now he spends his days in his cell reading the Bible.
Meneses claims he did not possess any drugs when he was arrested in 1991 and will appeal to the Supreme Court to review his case.
Find out more about AP Archive: [ Ссылка ]
Twitter: [ Ссылка ]
Facebook: [ Ссылка ]
Instagram: [ Ссылка ]
You can license this story through AP Archive: [ Ссылка ]
